Belt-shifter.



A. O. PLETZ.

BELT SHIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914p INVENTOR.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. n. L

ARTHUR C. PLETZ, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BELT-SHIFTER.

Application filed June 11, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 772,981.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. PLETZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Shifters, ofwhich the following-is a specification.

This invention relates to a belt shifter and it comprises aninstrumentality adapted for use in connection with machine tools ofconventional design whereby a belt extending from a counter shaft pulleyto a pulley on the tool may be very easily shifted from one step toanother.

One object within the contemplation of this invention is to renderavailable a belt shifting mechanism in the nature of an attachment thatmay be aflixed to any given machine tool and which will extend to thecounter shaft so as to enable the belt to be shifted by a positiveacting member located adjacent the counter shaft. and by anotherpositive acting member located adjacent the machine tool.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of thisinvention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts, and in the unique relations of the members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as morecompletely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in. the art so fully to comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they may embody the same by thenumerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by thisinvention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as apart of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of whichFigure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing the belt shifterapplied to a lathe and extending to an overhead counter shaft. Fig. 2 isan end elevation of the same.

Continuing now by way of a more detailed description, it may be notedthat whereas in my copending application Serial No. 770,600, filed May29, 1913, I have shown a belt shifting arrangement primarily adapted tobe built into a machine tool organization, in this instance there isrevealed a mechanism that very conveniently may be applied to alreadyinstalled machinery.

Referring to Fig. 1, A indicates a portion of the frame of a machinetool, here shown as a lathe, and B indicates a step cone pulley ofconventional description mounted in the frame A and operative to drivethe spindle of the tool. A complementary step cone pulley C is heremounted on a counter shaft D which is suspended from the ceiling bymeans of a hanger E. This hanger has a depending arm 1 having a bearinghub 52, in which translates a shifting arm F terminating in abelt-retaining ring 3 and carrying a rack 4 along one of its sides. Ashaft G is journaled in a hub 5 carried by the arm 1 and to the end ofthe shaft is secured a pinion 6 which meshes with the rack 4L andenables the belt shifter F to be reciprocated or translated by arotation of the shaft G. In this way, the belt shifter F enables theupper end of the belt H to be moved from one step to another of the conepulley C. The means for actuating the shaft G will now be described.

A bracket I adapted to be secured to an appropriate part of the frame ofthe machine tool carries a hub 7 similar to the hub 5 through which theshaft G is journaled, and on the lower end of the shaft G is secured abevel 8. A second hub 9 supports the stub shaft 10 operated by the handwheel 11 and this shaft carries a peculiar bevel J which is here shownas a half bevel, having one half of its periphery provided with teeth 12and the other half being smooth, as indicated by 13. A third hub 14; isalso pro vided by the bracket I and supports a shaft 1: which terminatesin a pinion 15 meshing with a rack 16 on a belt-shifter L slidablycarried by the fourth hub 17 of the bracket I. This latter shifter issimilar to that already described.

It is noteworthy that shifters F and L are on opposite sides of the axisof the shafts G and K, so as to act in the same direction. Now, when thehandwheel 11 is rotated a half-revolution the shaft G will be turned ahalf-revolution and then the teeth 12 will leave their mesh with thebevel 8 and the shaft G will be yieldably locked in appropriate positionby means of a springpressed detent 18. During this time the bevel 19will not have been turned by reason of the fact that the smoothperiphery 13 precludes tooth engagement, but as soon as the handwheel 11is further turned the teeth 12 will engage those of the bevel l9 and itwill be turned a half-revolution and then held in appropriate positionfor tooth intermesh by a spring plunger 20. The racks and pinions abovementioned are so designed and proportioned that these movements will besutiicient to cause a lateral shifting of the belt through a distanceequal to the width of a step of the pulley.

lVithout further elaboration, the fore going will so fully reveal thegist of this invention that others can by applying currentknowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting certainfeatures that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of thefollowing claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the Jnited States 1. A belt shifter of the naturedisclosed combining an upper and a lower bracket; a belt-shifting membermovably mounted in each of said brackets; a hand-operated gear segment;a pair of gears, each located in opposite relations with said gearsegment and adapted to be actuated in alternate succession thereby; andmeans operatively connecting said gears with said members to move firstthe one and then the other in the same direction when said gear-segmentis progressively rotated.

2. A belt shifter of the nature disclosed combining an upper and lowerbracket; a belt-shifting member movably mounted in each of saidbrackets; a handoperated bevel-gear segment; a pair of bevel gears, eachlocated in opposite relations with said gear-segmentand adapted to beactuated alternately thereby; and means operatively connecting saidgears with said members to move first the one and then the other in thesame direction when said gear-segment is progressively rotated.

3. A belt shifter of the nature disclosed combining an upper and a lowerbracket; a belt-shifting member movably mounted in each of saidbrackets; a hand-operated gear segment; a pair of gears, each located onopposite sides of the axis of said gear segment and adapted to beactuated in alternate succession thereby; and means operativelyconnecting said gears with said members to move first the one and thenthe other in the same direction when said gear-segment is progressivelyrotated.

at. A belt shifter of the nature disclosed combining an upper. and alower bracket; a belt-shifting member mo-vably mounted in each of saidbrackets; a hand-operated bevel gear segment; a pair of bevel gears,each located on opposite sides of the axis of said gear segment andadapted to be actuated in alternate succession thereby; and two shafts;each operatively connecting one of said gears with one of said membersto move first the one member and then the other in the same directionwhen said gear-segment is progres sively rotated.

5. A belt shifter of the nature disclosed combining an upper and a lowerbracket; a belt-shifting member novably mounted in each of saidbrackets; a hand-operated bevel gear segment; a pair of coaxial bevelgears, each located on opposite sides of the axis of said gear segmentand adapted to be actuated in alternate succession thereby; and a longand a short shaft operatively connect ing said gears with said membersto move first the one and then the other in the same direction when saidgear-segment is progressively rotated.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR C. PLETZ.

Witnesses OLIVER B. KAISER, CLARENCE B. Fosrnn.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

